A comprehensive guide to child custody evaluations : mental health and legal perspectives

Whether assessing general family functioning or specific areas of conflict, professionals ordering, conducting, or reviewing child custody evaluations require sound knowledge of three interrelated fields: up-todate legal issues, psychological findings, and forensic procedures. A Comprehensive Guide to Child Custody Evaluations covers these three essential areas to walk readers through the evaluation process clearly and concisely. This unique interdisciplinary book emphasizes professional ethics, children’s psychological well-being, and clear communication among all parties as keys to resolving disputes with efficiency and thoroughness, and minimizing the chances of children and their families getting lost in red tape. Among the Guide’s features: • Legal standards for custody evaluations and recommendations. • Procedures for conducting custody evaluations, with the latest data on psychological testing, interviewing children, and home observations. • Guidelines for writing: evaluation reports, orders for evaluations, parenting plans. • Legal and ethical standards for critiquing evaluation reports. • Current legal and research-based information on special issues, including alternative family arrangements, medical problems, child sexual abuse, estrangement, and parental abduction. • Reference and resource sections provide additional support. The Guide’s interdisciplinary approach will be of invaluable aid to forensic mental health professionals in conducting evaluations and communicating results, family and probate judges in ordering and assessing custody evaluations, and family attorneys in deciding how to approach various aspects of the family situation, whether to request a custody evaluation, and how to proceed after the custody evaluation is done. n order to assist families embroiled in child custody disputes, Ithe courts order thousands of child custody evaluations each year. Some of these evaluations are brief, problem-focused asse- ments aimed at quickly resolving a specific area of dispute. Other evaluations are more comprehensive, covering all aspects of family functioning in complex cases. The process of ordering, conducting, or assessing either type of child custody evaluation requires a clear understanding of how legal and psychological issues are int- twined in each case. This book is designed to meet this need for a comprehensive guide that combines legal information and forensic procedures with the social science research that must be the basis for all custody recommendations and decisions. The book should be helpful to three separate but related groups of experienced professionals: (a) family and probate judges, (b) family practice attorneys, and (c) forensic mental health professionals. Before they can order a custody evaluation and use the inf- mation it provides, judges must have a clear understanding of how to integrate clinical information about each family with the related social science research. This book will also enable judges to assess each custody report in terms of (a) the professional and legal gui- lines for conducting custody evaluations, and (b) research-based criteria in each area of family functioning. The text and CD also offer examples of how best to write orders for custody evaluations, and detailed parenting plans that address the issues in each family. Front Matter....Pages I-XXV Front Matter....Pages 1-2 The Search for Truth: Science and Pseudoscience in Child Custody Evaluations....Pages 3-7 Roles and Ethical Issues in Custody Disputes....Pages 9-27 Models and Guidelines for Child Custody Evaluations....Pages 29-41 Standards for Resolution of Custody Disputes....Pages 43-56 General Legal and Professional Issues....Pages 57-83 Communication Among Professionals....Pages 85-105 The “Ultimate Issue” – Recommendations....Pages 107-115 Front Matter....Pages 117-118 Developmental Needs of Children and Families....Pages 119-154 Managing Parent/Child Contact in High-Conflict and Abusive Families....Pages 155-167 Parenting Plans and~Interventions....Pages 169-209 Front Matter....Pages 211-212 Uses and Limitations of Psychological Tests....Pages 213-248 Starting the Evaluation....Pages 249-273 Collecting Information....Pages 275-322 Writing the Report....Pages 323-348 Reviewing Custody Evaluations....Pages 349-357 Front Matter....Pages 359-359 Diversity in Family Structures....Pages 361-382 Relocation....Pages 383-397 Estrangement and Alienation....Pages 399-437 Abduction and Parental Kidnapping....Pages 439-455 Children with Disabilities....Pages 457-471 Front Matter....Pages 359-359 Mental Illness in Parents....Pages 473-497 Substance Abuse....Pages 499-528 Domestic Violence....Pages 529-567 Child Abuse and Neglect....Pages 569-588 Child Sexual Abuse....Pages 589-617 Back Matter....Pages 619-702 Pt. I. General Considerations -- 1. The Search For Truth: Science And Pseudoscience In Child Custody Evaluations -- 2. Roles And Ethical Issues In Custody Disputes -- 3. Models And Guidelines For Child Custody Evaluations -- 4. Standards For Resolution Of Custody Disputes -- 5. General Legal And Professional Issues -- 6. Communication Among Professionals -- 7. The Ultimate Issue -- Recommendations -- Pt. Ii. Social Science Research And Parenting Plans -- 8. Developmental Needs Of Children And Families -- 9. Managing Parent/child Contact In High-conflict And Abusive Families -- 10. Parenting Plans And Interventions -- Pt. Iii. Ordering, Conducting, And Reviewing Evaluations -- 11. Uses And Limitations Of Psychological Tests -- 12. Starting The Evaluation -- 13. Collecting Information -- 14. Writing The Report -- 15. Reviewing Custody Evaluations -- Pt. Iv. Special Issues In Evaluating Children And Families -- 16. Diversity In Family Structures -- 17. Relocation -- 18. Estrangement And Alienation -- 19. Abduction And Parental Kidnapping -- 20. Children With Disabilities -- 21. Mental Illness In Parents -- 22. Substance Abuse -- 23. Domestic Violence -- 24. Child Abuse And Neglect -- 25. Child Sexual Abuse. Joanna Bunker Rohrbaugh. Cd-rom In Pocket. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 625-664) And Index. System Requirements: Microsoft Word. Whether assessing general family functioning or specific areas of conflict, professionals preparing child custody evaluations require sound knowledge of three interrelated fields: up-to-date legal issues, psychological findings, and forensic procedures. This book covers these three essential areas to walk readers through the evaluation process clearly and concisely. It further provides a unique combination of legal guidelines with social science research. A guide which focuses on professional ethics, children's psychological well-being, and communication among various parties as keys to resolving disputes with efficiency and thoroughness, and minimizing the chances of children and their families getting lost in red tape